Minimalism

Minimalism is a very simple, yet distinguished art style that sells for thousands of dollars. But why? What makes these art pieces so desirable and so pulling to the eye?

Around the 1960s, the Minimalism Movement struck momentum in New York, USA for its plain geometric configurations, use of industrial materials, and the use of realism in its purest form. Artists chose to represent traditional subjects in their simplest forms. Artists felt they needed a new subjectivity since Abstract Expressionism was seen as too complex to portray their artistic ideas. 

Abstract Expressionism was considered a very personal and emotional form of art about the artist's emotional state where a brush stroke portrayed a specific state of being. Young artists turned away from Abstract Expressionism and instead focused on including less in their art, which in terms created a more minimalist, abstract art piece with more to interpret. While they tried to describe less, there is certainly more to this movement. 

Frank Stella is known as one of the starters of the Minimalism Movement, specializing in printmaking and sculpting. He was inspired by artworks that appeared flatter in their spaces. He believed that painting on a flat surface was just that- painting on a canvas, and that the color and shape on the canvas could interpret itself without a hidden meaning seen in other art movements. His series, Black Paintings (1959) consists of a canvas with lines of black paint across in different shapes and patterns, using his own beliefs and interpretation of Minimalism. 

Frank Stella: The Marriage of Reason and Squalor, II. Enamel on Canvas, 1959.

This new type of work could be classified as anything but “traditional”. Donald Judd, a principal artist, used industrial materials and shape language to create interesting art pieces that replicated compositional wholeness in a 3D space. His idea around Minimalism was the usage of stark geometric shapes, and adapting into “a third dimension” inspired by painters such as Barnett Newman and Clyfford Still. (Want, par 3).

Donald Judd: Untitled. Galvanized Iron and Lacquer, 1967. 

    

   Robert Morris, another principal artist, was drawn to the idea of geometric, cube-like shapes. Unlike Judd, though, Morris was influenced by theories in psychology and used his art to argue that these shapes established a sensation that any form and shape could be grasped intuitively. (Want, par 3).

Robert Morris. Untitled. Mirror glass and wood, 1965.

Both artists attempted to reduce the idea of aesthetic judgment by linking what the piece was made of rather than the why behind the piece itself, an idea adopted by many artists afterward. So that begs the question; What is the point of minimalist art if not just to look pretty? One of the most important characteristics to note about Minimalist art is its rebelling against expressionist art. Minimalism, like I said earlier, takes on many shapes and forms (literally). The objective of minimalism is to give artists a back seat and let the art do the talking, letting the shape and form. 

Robert Morris. Labyrinth, 1999. 

There are many identifications of minimalist art; monochromatic colors, geometric shapes and forms, styles, and many more. When working with a simplistic palette, it's easier to focus on the impact of the color instead of the piece. Often, minimalistic art is created with a variety of plain commercial materials so viewers look past the expense and more on what is in front of them. Minimalist art is shown through a multitude of different styles ranging from visual art, sculpture, interior design, and more. 

Dan Flavin. Untitled, 1980. 

While you can still find examples of minimalism art, it definitely isn't as present as it was. Many artists continue to move with the trends, however, this doesn't stop what minimalism started and continues to lead. It helped create new foundations for artists going into the 21st Century. 

So what is minimalist art? What is the meaning of minimalism in art? What qualities define minimalist art? It took me some time to really understand and appreciate that art doesn't have to have an underlying meaning or metaphor. It can just be something you can look at and appreciate the time an artist spent crafting the art.